Among the things I love

Among the things I love is architecture. This could be because I am a MASSIVE art history nerd. Digression: a couple years ago, I was reading the Yarn Harlot and she said "Am I the only one that thought Art History would pay off?" I totally lost laughing it because, yes, I too thought it would pay off. While it has not paid off in a professional sense, it has enriched my appreciation for everything from walking down my own street to travel to museum going. I love all kinds of art, and architecture is no exception. I think there is something wonderful about beauty in such a functional object.

Buildings define so much of our lives, its truly amazing when they can embrace both functionality and beauty, bringing pleasure to mundane aspects of life. Being inside a spectacular building can be an almost overwhelmingly awesome experience-- Notre Dame comes to mind in this sense.

The following are no Notre Dame, but buildings or elements of buildings that struck me as interesting and aesthetically pleasing. To make something we HAVE to use on a daily basis pleasing and pretty I think is one of the greatest gifts of art. Everyone can use more beauty in their day to day lives!

An Italian restaurant in Vancouver, BC:


The steps of Parliament, Victoria, BC:


Frank Gehry's building for the Experience Music Project, Seattle, WA:


Public library, Seattle, WA:

Its scarf season

And I forgot my scarf this morning on my way to get my OM on. Very chilly round the neck! Makes me want to immediately cast on a new scarf wardrobe, and perhaps this cowl.

Last night I knit a few inches on my current simple, stress free project: Knee Warmers. Requested by N to warm his knees on foggy morning bike rides to work, I am basically knitting a K2P1 rib for 12 inches of tube for a knee. I chose the 2x1 rib, and cast on for 3 inches less than the circumference of the knee/leg/thigh its intended to warm. Hopefully this will be tight and stretchy, avoiding the slouchy Richard Simmons look of 80s leg warmers. I do believe we are aiming for something a bit more masculine :)

I am about 80% through with the first warmer, having cast on this Sunday.

Here are some late summer-early fall pictures to distract from a lack of crafting pics!

Civic Center, San Francisco:



Monkshood, British Columbia:


Bivalve and purty sand, Kirby Cove beach, San Francisco:


rosa out.

Weekend Sights

I heard some rumblings of Blogtoberfest, over at A Rosy Outlook. I by no means promise to blog everyday, but I will try to blog more. Which may just mean sharing pictures, but hey, that is fun too!

For now, enjoy some weekend photos:

Chrissy Field: Along this SF beach is a series of globe sculptures, each done by a different artist. This particular one is looks like a regular globe, but is covered in a blue knitted sleeve!


Alcatraz from Fort Mason:




and the pretty beach (Chrissy Field again) at sunset:


Hope these pretty pics help people get through their Mondays........

Knitting question: what cast-ons do people prefer? I am looking for one that is prettier than the long tail or the loopy one (not sure what its called...Kristina probably does!)

rosa

Faux Mia

Happy Birthday to Mariam!

Back in June, I gifted her a coupon for the knitted item of her choice. Kind of a cop out, but even in foggy SF, it can be hard to find the knitting muses when the sun is shining and the park is calling.



A couple weeks ago, she emailed me this Fossil link to their Mia Scarf. I just finished a couple days ago, after picking up a button at Britex.



The scarf is modeled here in Golden Gate Park at the wonderful (and free!) Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival by Ms. Pitty over at QSBR. We saw the band who sang the grammy winning songs from Toy Story, Riders in the Sky, and they were hilarious, stunningly educated (they all have phd or MAs!), and wonderful, charismatic performers.

FO: Faux Mia Scarf
Pattern: Made it up. 2x2 rib. Cast on 18 stitches and rib away until scarf is the desired length. Create a button hole by doing one YO, K2tog in the middle of the row. Knit a few more rows, and cast off. Sew a ginormous button on the opposite end of the scarf as the hole.
Yarn: Wool Ease Thick and Quick in Fisherman
Needles: 9mm bamboo straights
Button: big old shell button in a faux coppery green finish. Lots of faux in this scarf. Love the button.



Mariam, if you are reading, this is going out to you in tomorrow's mail!


I seem to have accumulated about 9 skeins of this yarn, in this color. I imagine about 4 yrs ago I bought it or my mom gave it to me for blanket crocheting which clearly has not happened.




Ok, back to Sunday Night Football...

rosa

Mas Ropas Por Favor

...ropas means clothes right? My spanish is a little rusty. Back to the point:

I was browsing the website of a pretty popular clothing store this morning, let's call it "the Snap" (sister companies include "Mold Gravy," "Sniperlime" and "Shmashmana Reshmublic"). These nicknames make it sound like I hate this company but in fact, I love them. Earlier this year I went on a wardrobe replacement shopping spree to replace a lot of my junky college clothes (that I'd had since high school even) with more mature and versatile pieces. Well, I tried anyway. Who's to say if it actually worked. But I really only got spring and summer type items and I really only shopped at the Snap and Mold Gravy. For some reason they fit me just right. Even pants! --shocking!!!--

I was browsing their sale items and came across a lovely little cotton/cashmere sweater - 3/4 length sleeves, 3 little buttons on the shoulder, very chic. Unfortunately, they were out of my size. I guess that's a good thing since I am saving up money for school. But now I can't even find it on the website. It is completely sold out. (The pic is very similar, just not a cardigan.) I think I might go to my local Snap store and see if I can find one. It's too bad such a fine gauge is such a pain.

Random new topic: I need to take pictures of my new Argosy yarns. I may or may not have mentioned already, but Argosy yarns (argosyyarns.com) rock my socks off. You'll see. There will be jealousy (hint: cashmere + silk). Sorry in advance.

Vacations are delicious!

To echo Kristina's post from yesterday, vacations are scrumptious. I really feel that eating local, delicious food gives you a feel for a place and its culture. Plus, I love food!

In Vancouver we hit up the Granville Market, a bit like San Francisco's own Ferry Building.

It was fall in Vanouver, with leaves in array of gorgeous fall colors that are totally absent from life in the temperate Bay Area. Leaves outside the market:


Part Farmer's Market and part more preferment local merchants and eateries, the market had treats at every corner. We basically bought whatever looked delicious from stunning salmon to French onion soup to butter tarts to boba tea to stuffed peppers, and the list goes on!


Gorgeous dragon fruit:

There was one vendor selling deliciously soft, but very pricey hand spun Alpaca. You can even see some pictures of their Alpaca in the background!



The market boasted the freshest of fish:

Pincushion Protea, my favorite tropical flower:
And dahlias, another favorite (I do love most flowers though!)

In Seattle we hit up the famous Pike's Place Market, where we bought shrimp and crab, to be devoured with a crusty loaf of fresh olive bread. Touristy though it is, the market has fantastic treats, from the shouting sea food vendors to the amazing shop Piroshki Piroshki.



It was a delicious week in the Northwest! I have had to wean my self back down to normal eating habits!

Most of these pictures courtesy of our awesome slr camera and N's photo skillz.

Weekend of Food

This past weekend, Peter and I went up to his grandparents' farm-vineyard in Sonoma County for a much needed (read: wanted) 4-day vacation. I freakin love that place. The air is fresh, there is greenery everywhere you look, people are so friendly, and the food is so fresh and actually tastes like it is supposed to! (aka not like cardboard.)

This is a bowl of the sweetest raspberries I have ever tasted and the most beautiful shiny, red grape tomatoes. Unfortunately, they were left on the counter overnight and were attacked by ants. Sad face! It was so terrible because we couldn't see the ants until we shook the bowl and then they came pouring out. So. Gross. And talk about disappointment.

Not to worry. There were plenty of heirloom tomatoes to drown my sorrows in. We bought some fresh mozzarella, a loaf of sweet french bread (you see where I'm going with this) and some fresh basil, drizzled with a touch of olive oil and balsamic vinegar...... It was fanastic. I can't even begin to describe the taste explosion. I took pictures of the amazing stack of deliciousness, but they don't do justice to it at all. I'm sure your imagination is working wonders though.

Next, a little fresh fruit tease. A big bunch of grapes hanging on the vine, and freshly picked Roman Red apples. We took a stroll along the vines, picking grapes, spitting out seeds, picking grapes, spitting out seeds... I love harvest time.

This is the dinner we made for ourselves on our last night there. Heirloom tomato pasta sauce with fresh zucchini, bell peppers, basil and grape tomatoes smothering tomato-basil fettucini. Sometimes I could swear I'm a real chef.

I know it looks like all we did was sit around and eat, but we also went canoeing down the Russian River (salami/cheese and apples/peanutbutter on ritz crackers) and we meandered around Sebastopol (sweet sushi/tempura lunch) and Healdsburg (homemade turkey-salami-tomato sandwiches and strawberry gelato). So really, there was walking and eating too... Who am I kidding, it was a weekend of delcious guilt-free gorging. I can't wait to go back.